Everquest Beginner Race Guide – Iksar

The "Ruins of Kunark" expansion pack for the MMO "Everquest" added in the new Iksar race. This guide explains strengths, weaknesses and classes available to the race. Read this before picking this type of character to play as.

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So You Want to be an Iksar?

The Iksar are one of the sixteen starting races in Everquest. They are only available with the Ruins of Kunark expansion pack. The races in the game have a great bearing on how the character will turn out.

Iksar are able to choose between six different classes to play the game as. This is race looks like humanoid lizard creatures. They are covered from head to toe in hard scales and various horns. They benefit from several reptilian bonuses. They hail from the city of Cabilis on the remote continent of Kunark. Iksar are an evil race, only welcome in other cities with extreme amounts of increasing faction.

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Strengths of the Iksar Race

Iksar have a number of innate racial abilities that is related to their reptilian biology. Enhanced Regeneration is one of the most prominent of these. Infravision allows Iksar to see equally in the light and dark. Enhanced Armor Class increases their defense stat, and scales with equipment.

The Iksar are one of a few races with the ability to Forage food and drink. Food and drink are required to keep health, mana and endurance regeneration at the character's full potential, and can sometimes be expensive. Forage can be used once every few seconds. The higher the character's Forage skill, the better the chance to receive food or drink. All characters of this race start with fifty points in the Forage skill. They also start with a one hundred point increase to the Swimming skill. The Swimming skill directly correlates to the character's swimming speed.

Iksar also have a five point natural resistance to heat. They also have a negative ten resistance to cold, holding true to their reptilian nature. These are far outweighed later in the game, as most gear grants at least twenty points to all resistances. Thus, this is one of the least important factors when choosing race.

Iksar wear medium sized armor. This is a boon, as there is a wider variety of medium armor out there. This gives more options for upgrading equipment as cheaply as possible, reserving more money for purchasing spells and abilities.

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Classes

The Iksar race is only able to be one of the following classes in the game Everquest.

BEASTLORD – Iksar Beastlords are a popular choice. At level 8, they are able to summon a Scaled Wolf as a permanent pet. Beastlords are only able to wear leather armor, so the Enhanced Armor Class helps them to take damage well. The extra regeneration helps, as Beastlords often tank for their pets.

MONK – Iksar are one of two races that is able to play the Monk class. Due to their evil orientation, they are given certain advantages over their Human counterparts. AC is lifeblood of the Monk. Weight plays a huge part in the life of Monks. Once a Monk's total weight passes a certain point, their AC starts to decrease. This results in light weight armor, which doesn’t carry as much AC as the heavier equipment does. Enhanced Regeneration also plays a part in a good Monk. Soloing Monks are required to take all the damage, and the regeneration results in lower downtime. Iksar Monks also have an extra ability Humans don’t. Tail Spin deals extra damage and can be used often.

NECROMANCER – Iksar make for competent Necromancers. The most beneficial racial a Iksar Necromancer possesses is Enhanced Regeneration. Necromancers possess many different spells that drain the health from them. This helps to balance that out, and creates much less downtime.

SHADOWKNIGHT – Iksar have a hard time being Shadowknights. Their inability to wear Plate armor is a huge hit to their AC. Their Enhanced AC bonus helps counter this, but it can’t completely make it up. Therefore, the Iksar will have to take more time healing and using their AC siphoning spells.

SHAMAN – Iksar are made to be Shamans. Shamans have many spells that drain health for mana. Iksar with their natural regeneration boost, and are able to do this several more times than other Shamans without having to heal. Shamans are also able to wear chain armor, which is the highest class of armor an Iksar can wear.

WARRIOR – Iksar don’t make popular Warriors. Their lack of ability to wear plate armor is nearly insurmountable, with no spells or abilities to heal or siphon AC. Stamina and Strength also start out a touch lower, which Warriors need plenty of to be effective.